Launches
An automated Mayday call was broadcast from a hand held VHF radio using Digital Selective Calling. The Falmouth Coastguard requested RNLI Dart B class lifeboat Staines Whitfield, along with the Coastguard teams from Dartmouth and Berry Head to investigate.
The Coastguard was able to tell the crew the name and description of the vessel the radio was registered with. No such vessel was found at the broadcast position on the moorings opposite Dittisham. The area was extensively searched on the river and along the riverbanks. The Coastguard then advised the lifeboat crew to return to the broadcast position and search any boats there. A 35 ft. yacht was in the position and a crewman was put aboard. He found the radio, switched on, in the cabin. It was taken back to the lifeboat station and the battery removed in case it accidentally re-broadcast the emergency call.
The lifeboat and coastguard teams were stood down and the lifeboat crew returned to Dartmouth in the face of gathering Storm Dennis.
Request Received | 12:08am |
Time at incident | Deprecated: Implicit conversion from float 0.43333333333333335 to int loses precision in /home/dartlifeboatorg/public_html/launches-detail.php (line 272) 26 minutes |
Time to recovery | Deprecated: Implicit conversion from float 1.0333333333333334 to int loses precision in /home/dartlifeboatorg/public_html/launches-detail.php (line 272) 1 hour, 2 minutes |
Back on Service | 1:20am |
Sea/River State | River Slight Chop |
Wind Direction | South-Southwest |
Wind Strength | 20 knots |